The DevilChild
by Bulls in Brooklyn
Summary: Magnus Bane has told little of his childhood, but what he has revealed doesn't paint a pretty picture. Magnus' childhood, from his father's perspective.
1. Prologue

**THAT'S RIGHT PEOPLE! I'M BACK AND MAGNUS-ING IT UP!**

**Sorry, I'm a tad excited to be back into the fandom - you guys are all so lovely and the characters are great.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own, Cassandra Clare does. OR DOES SHE? Yes, she does. Damn.**

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It was dark in the house now, and blessedly quiet, just the way he liked it. Mr William Bane had never believed himself a cruel man until the child had been born. But that child, that devil boy had unleased something dark within himself, something he was not aware he possessed.

***

He had married Elizabeth, despite the rumours, despite the ill-reputation, the whispers of darkness that had followed her since her mother had been proven a witch. He had married Elizabeth, his dear heart, both of them poor enough to marry for love alone. And when her belly had swelled with child, he was surprised by the intensity of his joy and pride. He was to have a boy, he knew it, a handsome boy who would be clever with his hands like his mother, and strong like his father. He and his eventual siblings (Elizabeth had always wanted a large family) would take over their small farm, and look after them in their old age. He would marry a pretty young lass and maybe William would be lucky enough to see grandchildren before he died.

He had such plans for his son. And as did Elizabeth, although the pregnancy was a hard one. The old woman who served as a midwife in their small hamlet had helped her through the difficult times, and the tough labour, while William paced anxiously in the next room. When the old woman called out, he ran into their bedroom where Elizabeth was sitting pale and sweaty, staring at her newborn child. Not with the emotions he had expected: love, happiness or even relieved that her ordeal was over; no, she was almost glaring at the child, fixing him with a look of abject horror.

"No, no." She said, "No, he's wrong, he's not right, he's not my child."  
"Elizabeth!" he rebuked her, "This is our child, our boy!"

She did not speak again, just looked with tight-lipped intent at the child, shaking her head and crossing her arms when the woman offered her the baby. The old woman pursed her lips in disapproval, and instead gave the child to his father. He clutched the little boy to him, marvelling that something could be so little, while the old woman shook her head disapprovingly,  
"Forgive me for saying Mr. Bane, but you should have a better control over your wife. She's being insolent. That behaviour should be beat out of a woman early, before it can lead to incidents such as this."  
William gave her a considering look. "Madam, t'is not your place to judge how I run my household."  
She looked abashed, and replied with a demure nod.  
"I believe I shall name him Magnus, after my grandfather. What do you think Elizabeth?"  
She gave William a look as if to say that she had no interest in whatever he did with this child, whether he named him or threw him away.

He looked at the little child in his arms, at his tiny chubby face and nearly dropped him when Magnus looked up at him. His eyes, were yellow, with slits like their housecat. It wasn't canny, and that was just the beginning.

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**Okay, so this is only the beginning of this story, bit of a short beginning, but it shall get longer, this is a prologue of sorts.**

**I'm afraid this isn't going to be nearly as fluffy as my last story, sorry, this one is going to really angsty, but we all know Magnus didn't have the best of upbringings.**

**Please review as it makes me do happy dances and feel warm and tingly inside (and guilts me into writing faster ;) )**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hi everybody!  
Welcome back. I'm so sorry for the delay, and for such a short chapter too- nearly 1000 words. We're getting there. I've started year 11, which means VCE, which means an insane workload, plus I've got a job (at McDonald's and god I hate it), and a million other things. Remember that this is a very dark story, so be warned that there is a very slight scene of physical abuse in this chapter, and there are themes of child abuse, alcohol abuse and suicide. Wow, yeah this story is fairly dark now that I think about it.**

**Disclaimer: Cassandra Clare owns the Mortal Instruments, I own William and Elizabeth (and I just realised that I named my characters after two of my baby cousins, which is a tad disturbing)**

Chapter 1

William got such little peace and quiet nowadays. It was strange to not hear the sounds of Elizabeth crying, or Magnus' pleading apologies. There was finally peace in his house, despite his sobriety, an uncommon thing since Magnus had killed....

He refused to think of it. He refused to think of the sight of his wife hanging from the rafters, Magnus' tear-streaked face looking in horror, then turning panicked when William came in. The sounds of the cows baying filled his ears as he and Magnus saw the swaying body. There was a thud. William didn't know he could hit that hard, nor that his fist would move without his intent.

He still sometimes replayed the scene in his head, with Elizabeth's face slack and purple, spittle blotting her face, while his son, who was not his son, was sprawled on the floor, face already swelling from the blow he had just delivered him.

When he did remember it, he was glad of the bottle that was always so near to hand. The bottle that removed all thought, and left him free of blame.

***

Magnus had not been a typical baby. William had spent enough time looking after his brothers and sisters in his youth to know that at least. Magnus didn't cry a lot, but every single week, as soon as they stepped onto the grounds of their church for mass, he would immediately start screeching, and wouldn't stop until they were home again.

Despite their efforts, Elizabeth did not fall pregnant again. Whispers grew among the town, cruel bawdy jests were sneered at William at the local tavern, by men who had drunk too much to handle. "Can't get it up anymore, can you Willy?!" Crude taunts and jeers seemed to follow William everywhere, and rang in his ears. But never having being a violent man, nor one with much of a temper, he ignored the barbs, although occasionally reddening by some of the more inventive stings.

Elizabeth tried her hardest, William could tell, to try and love the child. Elizabeth eventually grew fond of him, but William still occasionally saw her looking at the boy, with an almost puzzled expression on her face, as if she were wondering how and why such a child been born from her. She would often look guilty when William would remark on some similarity between Magnus and herself, but he couldn't work out why until Magnus had developed further.

He was a long-limbed toddler, promising to be a thin, tall man, despite the fact that William was short and broad, and Elizabeth very slight. When he remarked on this, Elizabeth had shrugged and said that her father had been tall. William had accepted this, but something had niggled at him, he had a vague memory of Elizabeth telling William that she was taller by her father by the time she was grown, but he must have been mistaken. Perhaps she had been talking about her mother, Elizabeth's mother had been rather short too.

As Magnus had grown further, the difference in his features was even further marked, with his appearance very peculiar indeed, his eyes of a strange shape as well as colour. They were slanted, an altogether pleasant effect, but not one he had ever seen before. And his skin changing quickly from the red of a newborn baby, turning a light brown, similar to as if he had spent time in the sun. It was very odd considering Elizabeth was very pale, and William had a ruddy complexion.

The peculiarity of his features soon set the town ablaze again in whispers and rumours. The main talk was of Elizabeth, perhaps she had bedded with another man, and told William the child was his? Although William tried to ignore it, knowing that Elizabeth was not much liked throughout the town anyway since her mother, but it was hard to displace the gnawing feeling that grew every time he marked all the differences he and Magnus shared.

As a child, Magnus began to come home crying at night because the other children wouldn't play with him, even making warding signs against him. William gave a cuff around the ears and told him to accept it like a man. He stiffened his quivering lip, and set his jaw stoutly. William ruffled his hair and sent him on his way. Magnus never complained about the other children again, although, on his way home from work some days, William would see him on the street, looking at the other children. He'd usually put Magnus on his shoulders and carry him home, and even when he was too old for such behaviour, he'd still laugh like a mad thing, arms waving about, legs kicking.

Despite all the various odd behaviours Magnus showed, the strangest and most frightening event occurred when Magnus was around 8 years old.

One of the other children had upset him somehow. Elizabeth commented on it when William arrived home, in the slightly detached manner she used whenever she referred to Magnus. William walked outside to see Magnus crouching on the back step, head on his crossed arms, clearly shaking with sobs. William frowned, this really wasn't good behaviour for an 8 year old boy. He reached down to touch Magnus on the back, and was repelled back a full foot, his hand burning as if he'd touched a fire. He cursed as Magnus's head snapped up, and Magnus looked at him with a tear-stained face, stuttering out apologies. It was then that William saw his hands. They were covered in fire. Blue fire. An utter impossibility.

"What are you boy?"

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**Okay, so some hints of what's to come. Magnus is in for a few unhappy years. Then a few centuries later he meets Alec and it's all okay! ;)**

**Oh my Lord. Has anyone ever seen a show called "Get Your Face On With Napoleon Perdis"? It's like a competitive makeup artist show, but anyway, there is this guy called Lanny on there, who looks _exactly_ how I pictured Magnus in my head. Like scarily so. It's really unnerving, and awesome at the same time. He's like tall, skinny, fashionable, fine features, sort of caramelly brown skin, black styled hair, makeup galore, camp as anything, and he's adorable. Love him.**

**Anyway, reviews genuinely make me write faster, and motivate me to write, there's nothing like a good guilt trip to get the creative juices flowing. Plus they make me insanely happy, and I could really use that right now.**

**Thank you for reading**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hi guys! Long time no see! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about this story! I have the beginnings of the 3rd chapter already written, and then I think there will be one or two more chapters after that. And then that will be the end of this story :(  
Hope you guys have enjoyed it so far, even if the subject matter is pretty dark. Remember, this story is not exactly for the faint of heart. It's not exactly long, so feel free to go back and re-read if you've forgotten, but if you cannot be bothered re-reading, here's a little refresher:  
The story is about Magnus' father William, and his wife, Elizabeth, and how they cope with a warlock for a son. As we know from the books, it is not well. The story is from William's perspective, and it contains alcohol abuse, emotional abuse, physical abuse, child abuse and suicide. Not pleasant.**

**I don't own the Mortal Instruments, although technically, I do _own_ the books, just not the rights. Damn technicalities.**

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**Chapter 2**

_It was nice to have come up with a plan. A solution, finally. If only the his headache would go away. The bottle was unforgiving after its blessing._

_He had to do it, harden his heart and do it. It wouldn't take too long, and then he could get away from this place and the memories. Drown himself in a bottle in some lonely tavern, and forget himself, forget her, forget him and what he did._

_Truly, he would be making the rest of the village safer. Getting rid of a threat, a menace, like getting rid of a fox. The best way to get rid of a fox? His grandmother growing up had taught him to knock them out and drown them. "Quick and easy, and much less mess!"_

_But she was gone now. Along with the rest of his family. And Elizabeth._

_Everyone he loved was dead. Every living relative was living no more._

_Except for one._

_And he had a plan to fix that._

William still remembered that day in the barn like it had happened the day previously. The shriek Magnus had let out, and the _thud_ and splash that came from his dropped pail of milk.

William ran into the barn, nearly slipping in the cream from the milk. His wife. His darling Elizabeth. Hanging from the rafters.

The _thud_ and splash of his fist, of Magnus falling and landing in the small puddle of milk.

It was not the first time Magnus had made strange things happen. The animals didn't like him, except for the cat. The cat scratched and hissed at everyone, but was content to sit in Magnus' lap, purring. Its slitted lids matched Magnus', both a brilliant green.

And that time when his hands lit up like blue fire, and he was not burnt. He was beaten though. Elizabeth had shaken and wept the entire night, pleading with him, with herself, her son, and for God's mercy. But he knew not what for.

At the time he did not, anyway. Last night, Elizabeth had confided in him. Had told him that Magnus was not his, nor truly hers either. She did not even think he was truly human. It was horrible, and yet William felt a strange mixture of fury and relief. Fury that another man would dare lay a hand on his Elizabeth (for it must have been a man, Elizabeth was clearly imagining things from hysteria when she said that is had been some sort of monster that had raped her) and relief that Magnus was not his. Relief from the constant wondering, the "what ifs" he always taunted himself with late at night, when he pondered the differences between himself and his "son".

And relief, relief that the slowly growing disgust, and _fear_ of his own son was fine, because it _wasn't_ his own son. He did not create this child. It was not his fault, nor Elizabeth's.

And now the disgust turned into hatred for this imposter, who had posed as a son for so many years, had been the cause of fights between him and ... oh God... Elizabeth. Had been the cause of all her guilt, all the walls she had built against him, the horror she had faced, the very reason she had... It was Magnus' fault. If he had never been born, they would have been happy together. They may not have had children, but they would have found a way to deal with that, somehow. They would have fought, surely, but not to the extents they had, and Elizabeth never would have...

"This is your fault."

The look of utter hurt and horror on Magnus' face was the only indication that he had spoken aloud. He had not been sure really. All he could hear was his blood pumping, the rushing in his ears.

"Get out." He was fairly certain he had spoken aloud this time, he felt his lips move. But Magnus showed no signs he had heard - he was still staring, eyes wide with horror, at Elizabeth's slowly swinging body.

"Get out! I don't want to look at you anymore!" Magnus still did not move. He picked the _thing_ up bodily, and threw him... no, _it_... outside.

He slammed the barn door behind him.

He turned to his wife. His dear, dear wife. The love of his life since he was fifteen.

"Oh Elizabeth." He whispered, reaching up to stroke one cold cheek. He hung his head for a moment, tears welling up in his eyes.

He felt for his knife, and reached up, and cut the rope, her body suddenly slumping heavily in his arms. He sank to the floor of the barn, uncaring of the dung and chicken feathers that covered it, his arms still wrapped around her, and bowed his head over the body of his wife.

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**Oh poor little baby Magnus! :(  
Some dark times are ahead, as shown by the preface at the beginning of each chapter.  
Hope you enjoyed, and please review, it motivates me to write, and discussions with people really interest me, so thank you!**


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